Hörbare

hörbare is a German adjective meaning audible or hearable. It describes sounds or signals that can be perceived by the human ear. The opposite is nicht hörbar or unhörbar, referring to sounds that cannot be heard.

Etymology and grammar: hörbar is formed from hören (to hear) combined with the suffix -bar, which indicates that something is able to be perceived or acted upon. In standard German, it is written lowercase when used as an adjective. Capitalized Hörbare can appear only as a proper noun or within titles, not as a regular form of the word.

Usage and context: In everyday language, one might say "Das Geräusch ist hörbar" to indicate that a sound can be heard. In technical or scientific settings, hörbar is used to distinguish signals that lie within the audible range from those that are ultrasonic or infrasonic. Phrases like "hörbare Unterschiede" or "hörbare Verbesserung" convey that the differences or improvements are perceivable by hearing. In technology, hörbar refers to audible feedback or alerts designed to be heard rather than seen.

Human hearing range: The typical audible range for humans spans roughly from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, though individual hearing can vary with age, health, and equipment. Sounds outside this range are not considered hörbar for most listeners.

See also: Hörbare in linguistics is separate from related terms such as akustik, Hören, and akustische Signale; for contrast, compare unhörbar and inaudible in other languages.